High Desert Hideaway

by Jenna Night

  He saw Rios by her patrol car, just standing there and watching the people on the street. There was a light scattering of snow on the ground, but snow wasn’t falling right now. He walked up to the deputy. “Have you seen Lily?”

  She turned to him and shook her head. “I haven’t seen her in a while.”

  Nate’s heart started to race again.

  Rios spoke into her collar mic, asking if anyone had seen Lily. When no one responded, she began to ask specific deputies who’d been on-scene. No one had seen her recently. Nate glanced at the back of her patrol car. “Can you have Bubba look for her?”

  “Sure.” She turned to open the door of her patrol car and prepare her K-9 to get to work.

  Nate headed back into the shopping arcade, found Wolfsinger and told him about his concern for Lily. The sheriff contacted dispatch to put out a call for everyone to be on the lookout for her.

  Hoping he was worrying over nothing, Nate started walking, then running, back to his apartment. Maybe she was there. When he got to the truck he’d left parked on the side street, his heart fell to his feet. There on the ground, partially hidden by a snow-dusted juniper bush, were Lily’s phone and purse. He picked them up. The purse had been knocked out of her hand outside his apartment when Eddie attacked her. Had she gone to retrieve it and someone grabbed her on the way back?

  Nate once again ran into the shopping arcade, where he found the sheriff talking to Deputy Cooper. He showed them the purse and phone, told them where he’d found them and what he feared had happened.

  Sheriff Wolfsinger got on his radio and ordered more resources up from Copper Mesa. He had Dispatch send out an emergency search bulletin for Lily with a digital image from her driver’s license.

  Then, turning toward Deputy Cooper, Wolfsinger gestured at a sheriff’s department laptop that sat open on a table. “I know we collected exterior security video for the prosecutor’s office to review later when they’re putting together their case against Drake. Let’s take a look at it now. See if we can find Lily on there.”

  Nate stood behind Cooper, impatiently watching over the deputy’s shoulder as he opened up the video files and fast-forwarded through them. There were images of Eddie when he was in the car and holding Lily at gunpoint, but there was nothing showing a woman being abducted in the time frame after Eddie’s capture and arrest. Cooper updated the video so they had everything from right after Eddie’s capture to just a few minutes ago. They watched it several times but saw nothing that could help them.

  Much as Nate wanted to race out to the truck and start searching for Lily right this minute, he forced himself to watch the video again and pay close attention. There must be some kind of clue. If it turned out she was somewhere in plain sight walking around town, the cops already out patrolling would find her. But what if she’d been grabbed and taken to some hidden place in the vast wildlands around Painted Rock? Nate might never find her.

  No. It would do him no good to think like that.

  Please, Lord, he prayed under his breath, we need Your help.

  A few minutes later, Cooper opened a file that showed footage captured by a camera with a different angle. This time Nate saw what he needed.

  On the video his beautiful Lily walked down the street toward the truck. Behind the truck was a large, gold luxury sedan. It was a make and model not commonly seen around Painted Rock. But Nate had seen a car like that recently.

  When Lily stopped by the truck someone crept out of the bushes at the edge of the park, hat pulled down and coat collar flipped up to hide his face, and struck her on the back of the head.

  Nate felt sick to his stomach as he watched the attack.

  Lily slumped to the ground. The assailant hoisted her over his shoulder, carried her to the gold car and tossed her into the backseat. Then he got into the driver’s seat and drove away.

  Nate turned to Wolfsinger and the sheriff nodded. He recognized the car, too.

  “Bryan Torrent,” Nate growled, his fear for Lily quickly turning into anger and determination.

  “Maybe,” Wolfsinger said calmly. He contacted Dispatch to get the license plate number for Torrent’s gold sedan. While he waited for a response he turned to Nate. “It might not be his car. If it is, someone might have stolen it.” Nate nodded impatiently. His gut told him Torrent was involved, and Nate was itching to go get him.

  “I know it’s pointless for me to tell you not to go looking for Lily,” the sheriff added. He turned to Deputy Cooper, asked him to get a handheld radio, then gave it to Nate when the deputy returned. “If you see something, let us know immediately.”

  Nate nodded his understanding as Dispatch got back to the sheriff with the license plate number and confirmation that the car belonged to Bryan Torrent, and that it had not been reported stolen.

  A few minutes later Nate was back at the truck and hitting the speed-dial number for Elijah on his phone. Elijah picked up on the third ring.

  “I need your tracking skills,” Nate said as he started up the engine. “And I need help from Vanquish the Darkness.” He quickly explained what had happened. “I need your members out on the roads and highways looking for the car.”

  “I’ll head out now.”

  “No. I’m coming to pick you up. In your own truck, no less. I want you riding with me. I need your tracking expertise if they head out into the wildlands.”

  “I’ll be ready and waiting.”

  “Make sure you’re armed. We might not just be dealing with Torrent. We might be up against everyone involved with the cargo-theft operation.”

  “Like I said, brother. I’ll be ready.”

  * * *

  Sitting up in the backseat of the car, Lily pushed aside one of the coats Torrent had used to cover her when he’d knocked her unconscious and tried to hide her. Her fingertips brushed something oblong-shaped that felt like hard plastic. Her glasses. She quickly put them on. One of the lenses was cracked, but at least now she could see.

  She looked out the window, hoping to get a sense of where they were. All she could see was darkness. They were on a two-lane highway with other cars occasionally passing by. At least they weren’t out in the middle of nowhere. Not yet.

  “Where are we going?”

  “Oh, I think you know,” Torrent answered, using that oddly happy tone again. “But don’t worry, it’s not too far out of town. Somebody will find your body by next spring.”

  Trembling with a cold fear that went all the way down to her bones, Lily looked up at the rearview mirror. Now that she had her glasses, she could see part of Bryan Torrent’s face.

  He glanced into the mirror and their eyes met. “Yeah, it’s me. Go ahead and take a good look. Why not? Who are you going to tell?”

  So many questions swam through Lily’s mind at once that she had trouble focusing on a single one. Finally, one thought pushed ahead of all the others. “Why?” The cracked lens of her glasses made the headlights of the cars passing by in the eastbound lane look distorted. Her whole world felt upside down.

  “Why am I here? Why are you doing this?” she demanded, her voice getting louder as anger shoved aside her fear. Her boss had kidnapped her.

  That was beyond crazy. It made no sense. “You know I didn’t overhear anything important,” she said. “Some random words. Stuff that hinted at criminal actions, but none of it was specific. And none of it had anything to do with you.”

  “Oh, you must have heard a little more than what you’re admitting to,” Torrent answered. He met her gaze in the rearview mirror again. “Your friends from the sheriff’s department showed up to watch my business on what was supposed to be a pivotal night. How would they have known to do that unless you told them to? Good thing we changed our plans when that idiot Jack Covert got arrested trying to grab you in your own house.”

  “But y
ou’re in the clear,” Lily said, trying to reason with him. “No one suspects you of anything. I don’t understand why we’re here now.” Fear was starting to overpower her anger again and her voice shook. But she was also sick and tired of being chased and attacked.

  “I don’t even know why you’re...” She’d started to say “why you’re going to kill me,” but quickly decided that was a bad idea. “I don’t know why you’re bringing me here,” she said instead.

  “Your life is going to end out here tonight because people believe you know things that really aren’t your business.”

  “But I don’t know anything,” she said. “I did hear something about early Wednesday, but nothing specific. The deputies were there just in case something did happen.”

  “You know, you’ve stuck to that story and I believe you,” Torrent said softly. “But the truth doesn’t matter. Appearances matter. And it appears to my business associates that you know information that could cause them trouble. They think you know enough to tie me and my company to their very lucrative business endeavors. And that you might tell the cops all about it. They’ve made it clear to me that I have to make sure that doesn’t happen. So you have to go.”

  Lily considered opening the door and jumping out, but they were moving at high speed and the chances she’d survive were slim. That would be her last resort. She looked at the coats. Maybe she could open a window, wave a coat and get someone’s attention as they passed by. She could scream and wave and hope they called the cops.

  “You’re getting quiet back there,” Torrent said. “I hope you’re not up to anything.”

  Lily saw headlights. A car headed toward them from the opposite direction. She grabbed a coat and hit a button to roll down the window. Nothing happened. The window didn’t move. Torrent started to laugh.

  She pulled the door handle, figuring she’d throw the coat in front of the oncoming car. The door wouldn’t open.

  “Childproof locks,” Torrent said in a singsong voice. “Can’t be too careful.”

  Lily snapped. She reached over Torrent’s shoulder to grab the steering wheel and managed to jerk it to the right a little before he shoved her aside. It was enough to make the car leave the highway and drive into the sandy soil. Torrent hit the brakes, tossing up a shower of sand and rocks behind the car.

  Lily flew back into the seat, but while the car was still moving she got up again. She lurched forward over the front seat, reaching for the keys and trying to turn off the engine.

  The car suddenly stopped and Lily fell forward, the top half of her body landing in the front seat. Before she could right herself, Torrent grabbed her by the neck. Then he seized one of her hands and pulled the rest of her body down into the front seat.

  Lily screamed and twisted, but she couldn’t break free of his grasp. He let go of her hand long enough to open his door. Then he got out, pulling Lily out with him.

  She prayed that someone in a passing car was paying attention. That they could somehow see what was happening out here even though it was dark and they’d call for help.

  Torrent spun her around, yanking her hands behind her back and tying her wrists together with what felt like a leather belt. Fueled by terror, Lily jerked free and started to run. He easily caught her and dragged her back to his car. She struggled and screamed as loudly as she could as he shoved her into the backseat.

  * * *

  Nate stopped where the Morales ranch driveway met the highway and waited with the truck engine idling.

  Elijah was already there, sitting in his wife’s sedan since Nate was driving Elijah’s truck. Olivia was next to her husband, a phone held up to her ear. Jonathan sat in the backseat.

  Elijah gave his wife a kiss and got out of the car carrying a rifle and night-vision goggles. Jonathan climbed out of the backseat, then reached back in to grab a black backpack and a coil of lightweight climbing rope.

  The members of Vanquish the Darkness were good friends to have when you were in trouble.

  “I appreciate your help,” Nate said as the men got into the truck. “I know this is your rig—” he turned to Elijah “—but I’m driving.”

  “I understand.”

  “I’m sorry about what happened to Lily,” Jonathan said from the backseat. “But we’ll find her. We won’t give up. Ever.”

  Nate turned to face him. “I appreciate that.”

  “Olivia’s been on the phone since you called us,” Elijah said. “We’ve already got over a dozen people out looking for Lily. More will join in as they hear about it.”

  “Thank you.” This wasn’t the first time Nate had been grateful for assistance from the Christian biker group. But this whole situation with Lily was the first time their help had felt so personal to him.

  The police radio propped on the seat beside him crackled with sporadic conversation. Every time a transmission started, Nate hoped it would be a lead on Lily. So far it hadn’t been. Just routine deputy business.

  “You’re a tracker,” Nate said to Elijah. “How do we start tracking Lily?”

  “I hate to say this,” Elijah answered in a somber voice, “but whoever grabbed her probably means to kill her and dump her body where she won’t be found.”

  For a few seconds Nate couldn’t breathe. Of course, he’d already thought of that, but hearing it said out loud made it seem much more possible.

  “God is still God,” Jonathan said from the backseat. “Hang on to that.”

  “Amen,” Elijah said quietly.

  Please, Lord, Nate prayed simply, trusting that God knew all that was in his heart.

  “If I wanted to kill someone, dispose of them and get away unseen I’d do it northwest of town,” Elijah said.

  Nate was glad Elijah fought on the side of good.

  “There are fewer ranch houses out there,” Elijah continued. “Plus there’s forest for cover and canyons where you can hide. I think we should head in that direction.”

  Nate breathed out another prayer as he hit the accelerator and took the necessary turns to get him out of town. Once he was clear of Painted Rock, he shot down the highway and hoped one of his coworkers didn’t try to pull him over for speeding.

  FIFTEEN

  Torrent turned off the highway shortly after he tied Lily’s wrists together and tossed her into the backseat of his car.

  Lily looked out the window to get some sense of where they were. But as they drove down the rutted dirt road he’d turned onto, all she could see was the darkness beside her and a few stray snowflakes sliding across the beam of the headlights in front.

  Torrent finally stopped, got out, came around and pulled her out of the car. She stumbled and fell.

  Lily braced herself. Would there be a quick, single shot? She struggled to get to her feet, trying to pull her wrists free of their binding, but she lost her balance and fell back down. Cold, watery snowflakes swirled downward from the scattering clouds and melted on her face. The coolness revived her a little and once again outrage nudged aside fear. He hadn’t immediately shot her. She still had a chance.

  Torrent reached down to grab her upper arm and pull her to her feet. She lay there like deadweight. Why make it easy for him?

  “Get up,” he snapped. This time he used both hands to pick her up. Then he pulled his gun out of the waistband of his pants, pointed it at her, spun her around and shoved her toward a rocky, dry creek bed that led into the mouth of a small, narrow canyon. She resisted. This looked like the end of the line. If she went into that canyon she’d never come out alive.

  “It’s not too late to let me go,” she said, trying to stall for time. “I’m nobody. No one would take my word against yours. They’d never believe we were ever out here if you deny it.”

  “Walk.” He shoved her into the mouth of the canyon.

  “Where a
re we?” Lily looked up at the rim of the canyon rising a hundred feet above her head.

  An insistent breeze made her shiver, while overhead the clouds were breaking apart and moving on. Filtered moonlight shone down, but it was still hard to see where she was walking on the rocky ground. It was even harder keeping her balance with her hands tied behind her back.

  Torrent ignored her question and pushed her to stay near the canyon wall. The ground rose in elevation the farther back they went. He must be taking her to the very back to kill her. If she was smart, she’d just stop walking and get it over with.

  Apparently she was more stubborn than smart. She kept walking while trying to think of a way she could escape.

  She tugged at the leather binding her wrists. Maybe she could loosen it if she kept working it.

  “Where are we going?” she asked again, surprised at how normal her voice sounded.

  Torrent didn’t answer, but after a few more steps they stood in front of a tumbledown single-room wooden shack built on a slight ledge. It was barely visible for the trees and bushes that had grown up around it. “We aren’t going anywhere anymore,” Torrent answered in a silky tone. “We’re here.”

  Torrent was quiet for a moment, then he looked down and shook his head. When he looked up, he wore a sad smile.

  Lily thought of her mom and tears sprang to her eyes. And then she thought of Nate. At least he wasn’t here with her, which meant he was okay. He was safe. He was probably worried about her, but he would survive. Even if she didn’t.

  Lily tried to swallow but her throat was dry. She continued to stare at Torrent, waiting for the flash at the end of the gun barrel.

  “My inheritance is gone,” Torrent said softly.

  “What?” Maybe something inside him was so dark and twisted that nothing he could say would ever make sense, but engaging in conversation might buy Lily some time. “What happened?” she asked.

  He’d brought her to the exposed lip of rock in front of the tumbledown shack. He took the step up, let go of her and turned to face her, as though he was standing on a stage. He seemed to like to talk about himself. Maybe she could use that against him.